President Extends Air Cargo Free Period and Customs Hours to Reduce Demurrage Fees
Presdient Dr Mohamed Muizzu at the event to meet with small and medium sized businesses on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | Photo: President’s Office
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has extended the free air cargo processing period from 80 to 124 hours and increased Customs working hours from 18 to 24 hours, aiming to ease the burden of high demurrage fees faced by cargo clearing companies.
Speaking at a meeting with small and medium business owners yesterday evening at the Maldives Centre for Social Education, the President said he had discussed the matter with Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) and implemented the changes with immediate effect.
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“I have just discussed this matter with people from MACL, and God be willing, they will extend the demurrage period from 80 hours to 124 hours,” he said.
The concerns were raised by Hussain, General Manager of CPEX Maldives, which provides courier services. He highlighted that delays in processing goods result in consistently high demurrage fees for his company and others in the sector. He noted that yesterday alone he paid MVR 6,000 in demurrage, while the amount was even higher in November.
“President, I paid MVR 1 million in demurrage fees to MACL last month,” Hussain said.
Hussain explained that cargo is held at the airport for 80 hours without any provision to unload goods during that period. He said the 12 courier companies operating daily face significant costs for not clearing goods within the stipulated time.
He added that the issue has been discussed with MACL and other stakeholders multiple times. Efforts have included bringing in expert consultants from abroad to identify solutions, though infrastructural constraints such as limited space and budget restrictions remain. Hussain said he had even offered to provide machinery free of charge to speed up processing.
He said that when over MVR 100 million is paid in demurrage fees, loans will be needed to maintain and keep the businesses.
“We cannot operate these businesses like how state-owned organisations work.”
President Muizzu confirmed that one of the proposed solutions, making Customs services available 24 hours a day, will be implemented. He explained that delays in exporting goods are partly due to the time required to scan them, as there is currently only one machine at Customs.
He added that he would look into alternate modes of payment for demurrage fees, which are currently being made in US Dollars.
